Okie here's some things about Turkish lifestyle. The family have to sit together at the dining table until all have finished eating. that is the time everybody share their stories about their life experiences. Once, Zeynep (the elderest daugther) wanted to tell us about her travel experience in USA, the whole family will call each other back to the table to listen to her story and no one's allowed to leave until she finishes her story. And meals are served in the balcony where there's fresh air and everyone feels relaxed. Turkish home concept is so homely and just makes u not want to go anywhere else except home.


Here is my typical Turkish breakfast. On the left, its bread like french loaves, which Singaporeans have to take time to aquire the taste for it. On top, its a tray of different types of cheese. Well, the goat's cheese are the worst tasting of all. Then the tray of black dates are OLIVES. arh, they are really not to my liking at all. In the middle, are different kinds of spread, from upper left clockwise, its mamarlade like spread, orange peel spread, chunky honey and lastly, a mix of 11 grounded spices together, eaten with olive oil. Then there's the tomatoes, and beside the plate of tomatoes is PURE HONEY which is just so addictive. i just keep eating and eating and eating. *yum* Then there's my favourite - Omelette! It's mixed with basil spread and cream cheese... cooked by the housekeeper every morning. I SO love it =) And the small glass of drink is Turkish Tea, taken with 2 big teaspoons each serving. ARH i love turkish tea too... its has a very distinct taste, different from Lipton Tea, and it makes u crave for even more. After drinking the tea and u drink water following it, u can taste the very mild sweet aftertaste in your mouth. Be sure i will buy a pack home, together with the special teapot.



Yea this is Zeren. the apple of her parent's eyes. of coz her parents love her sister too and they love to express their love for their children through hugs and kisses. lots and lots and lots of kisses. They will kiss each other in front of me until the kids will get embarassed. haha! It's so nice. and Zeren is such a sweet girl. So so sweet. =) I will never forget the times, she will try to tell me the trouble she gets into in school, how she loves football and she will play with the guys, the time we played football together in the backyard while the rest of the adults eat and talk shop, how we will sit in the living room and watching Japan and Brazil play, and times we wrestled in the room and she tries to carry me and Jacq around the room, and we tried to piece a jigsaw puzzle together too and MSNing each other even though we are 2 rooms apart. Your mum's happy you've got me as company, but I am even more thankful I have you to bring me joy and make me feel at home in a foreign land and home. Oh yes! how can i forget.... how we laughed so hysterically over 'Dinner Meditation'... how we um chioed for so long over dinner for about half and hour until your sister decided that laughing out loud would do our soul good. oh well. HAHAHAHA... she would laugh until she cried a pool out. and also the first time we played card game fortune telling too when you were felt so down after a lecture by your dad. I love you Zeren. Your innocence and happy-go-lucky personality have touched me so much.


This is what we do in school! We had to learn how to dance to a hip-hop song. Oh man. haha do i look spastic? hobbit and dance don't really go together u know? I prefer cheerleading in blue =) But the kids are not afraid of us, they are not afraid to tell us what to do, what ought to be done around the school, pulling us to join in their lessons. They just love us so much and we love them just as much too!


Yup, they have playtime periods too. Jenga!!!


Kids make the world go round =)))

The boy in the middle is my favourite. His name is Fatih. He's the smartest and the most sensible one. The one on the left is Ahmet, an avid basketball player. The one on the right is a rascal, Mustafa. He loves to scream and dance cha cha and play Chiko-Chiko-la-la-Chiko-Chiko-ta-ta with us. It's the best game invented, when kids go out of control, just play the Chiko game and they will stop their nonsense and calm down to play Chiko. Yay! =) Mustafa is a sheep -baaaaaaaa- So adorable =)



Here's an outing we had with them to the Museum. Previously it was at the zoo, this week its the Bursa Museum where they display everything from War equipments to skeleton bones of the first inhabitants of Bursa (really!) We look like teachers right? haha, i doubt the kids learnt much coz they didn't listen to the guide, but they were simply amazed at what they see in the museum. I don't know, but it definitely benefits their soul to be on an excursion. Kids just love bus rides, don't they?


Yay! everyone! =) turkish kids are cute cute and cute!

But i feel that I want to visit their families and understand their background. Why these children are here receiving free education. Some of the kids came for a coupe of time and told me that her mum doesn't allow her to go back to the school. why? =( Well, i hope our presence can really bring good memories to them and not make them think they are considered "underprivilaged". i'm sure they have their pride too and they want to be treated equality like all other rich kids. Rich kids have memories of new countries and new food while TEGV kids have rich memories of intense happiness and joy in their lives with us. Which one is better? I love being in their lives and i love to shower them with priceless hugs and kisses.



Oh ya, just to introduce to you these 2 people. Beste (the mum) and Kayrar (Kai-ra). She is Jacq's host and she's very very hospitable. They have treated Jacq very very well and spices up Jacq's life at home too. Jacq has endless stories of her family life to tell me! How comical the grandmother is, doing a "strip tease" in front of her, how Beste is such a "Singaporean" in some ways, how Kayra sings "ba ba black sheep have vu vany voo" and belly dance in front of her jealous best friend who claims she can dance better, and how kaira wears a new dress in the shop and runs out, triggering the alarm and we would see Beste's exasperated face. How Beste would take the stove fire starter to light up her cigeratte and use her knive to "slash" her neck when Kaira screams for her... Turkish families are so happening because everyone contributes to spice up family life. I love Besta and Kaira. =)